Bonds - Book 3 of Fairy Tale - Permanent Hiatus
by Kadrian
Summary: Will was back in Redmont with the assassins and the rangers. He was content with it. The rangers weren't. Distrust was one of many emotions they harbored toward the assassins. Will understood but he could do nothing about it. For now. They said that friends were once strangers, but no one ever said that all strangers will become friends. Sequel to Clash of Reunion.
1. Prologue

A.N.: I am back~~ A random plot bunny just jumped out of the bush quite suddenly and I am still recovering from the shock. So here goes nothing.

 **Disclaimer:** Not mine. Never will be mine.

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"Tomorrow is the ranger's gathering." Halt told him gruffly.

Will sipped his coffee quietly and glanced out the open door and into the forest. He wondered if the assassins were okay being where they were. The castle wasn't large enough to host all the assassins so they had decided to manage on their own. Neither Will nor the rangers knew where they were in the forest but Will had a vague suspicion.

"Is Gilan going to come?" Will asked hopefully.

There was a pause. They heard the sound of Tug and Abelard whined slightly in greeting.

"Apparently." Halt replied as Gilan strode into the doorway.

"Will! Halt!" The tall ranger greeted.

"Gil." Will smiled while Halt just nodded like his usual self.

"What's that I smell?" Gilan sniffed the air, "Coffee? Halt, I want coffee as well!"

"Go get your own." Halt grunted as he sat down opposite of Will beside the table, "And don't use up the honey."

As Gilan rolled his eyes and started talking with Halt, Will suddenly was hit by the feeling of home and familiarities. He hadn't felt this way for long, probably because of the whole memory lost and the Skandia battle. His shoulder throbbed slightly in reminder and he grimaced.

Gilan and Halt did not miss that, "Thinking of something bitter?"

Will raised an eyebrow, "Bitter?"

"You grimaced." Gilan pointed out as he sat on the table, much to Halt's obvious irritation.

"Just thinking of all the cleaning works I have to do." Will lied with a sigh as he swept an arm around the cabin, "Look at all these dusts! I wonder how many hours I would need to waste to clean them all up."

"Your job as an apprentice is to clean the cabin every day." Halt replied, "Nothing more."

"And ask no questions." Gilan added.

"Yes, that." Halt agreed as he took a sip of his own coffee.

Will hated the way he lied so smoothly. Halt or Gilan would have caught his lies before, but now, they didn't even bat an eye. He didn't like it. He didn't like it at all.

"So, the ranger's gathering." Gilan prompted.

Halt glanced sideway at his former apprentice, "Planning on terrorizing the old me?"

"Nah, you are getting too old for this." Gilan shook his head in mock exasperation.

He was on the receiving end of a glare from his former mentor, "You are calling me old."

"I am calling you old." Gilan nodded almost solemnly, "Look at your head of gray hair, Halt. Have you ever look in the mirror? And with your….saxe knife cut beard, it made you look like some old farmer off the road."

"Old farmer off the road." Halt repeated.

"And you are a little deaf as well." Will chimed in.

"Yes, that too." Gilan nodded in mock thoughtfulness.

"A little deaf." Halt's voice turned low and threatening.

"Definitely a little deaf." Gilan nodded again, "Maybe a little bit more than 'a little'."

Will smiled innocently in agreement, "Definitely."

As Gilan fired insults at Halt, Will's mind traveled away again. It had only been a week since the assassins had arrived in Araluen. True, Will was content and happy. He wanted nothing more than being with both of his family. But the rangers didn't seem to have completely accepted the assassins yet and Will could understand why. The assassins were strangers to the rangers and possessing similar, if not better, skills than them. Maybe the assassins can't beat the rangers to bows and Saxe knives, but definitely other skills. The rangers were very open-minded and kind, but Will could understand the mixture of distrust amongst the many emotions they harbored toward the assassins. It was a problem and Will had no idea what to do. It was beyond him.

"Up the tree, now." Halt's growl jerked him back to reality to see a very irritated Halt and a grinning Gilan.

"I have officially became friends with that tree," Gilan commented, "since I have been on it for so long."

"I don't care." Halt narrowed his eyes and pointed toward the door, "Up the tree, now."

"And you have repeating problems as well." Gilan laughed as he ran out the door.

There was a small silence, then Will snickered. Halt turned his thunderous glare on Will, "Up the tree as well."

Will just grinned.

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Okay, new start. New story. Breath iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin. Okay, I've got this. Welcome aboard to the third in the series~


	2. Problems Aroused

A.N.: Sorry about the shortness of this chapter! It is still on the start of a problem so I don't want to give too much (*grin*). Next chapter will be longer (2000, I think)!

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Sitting up the tree, Will soon realized, gave him a great view over the forest. The tree branch was strong enough to support him and his training with the assassins helped. A lot. He could make out the small gaps in the trees where the assassins once lived at until they left. He couldn't help but feel sadden by it. If he hadn't been there, would they have move and their home castle burned down? Probably not.

"Will! What are you doing up there?" A voice called from below.

Will gazed down through the leafy branches and squinted a little to see better, "Arch!"

He snuck a quick glance toward Halt's cabin. He was probably out. Will grinned and slid down the tree, landing in an almost silent thud in front of Arch.

"Hey, Will." Arch smiled slightly and pointed upward, "What are you doing up there? Talking to birds?"

Will shot him a look, "No, it was my punishment."

Arch stared at him for a moment before laughing out loud, "It must have been a really fun experience for you."

"I guess so." Will shrugged then smiled, "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I just came to visit you. Didn't expect to find you up in a tree." Arch replied and gestured toward the creeks, "Walk with me?"

Will followed.

"What do you have in mind?" Arch asked once they were a little further from Halt's cabin.

Will glanced sideway at the assassin, "How do you know?"

Arch poked him on the shoulder, "I can read people's emotion pretty well, Will. You were frowning an awful lot this morning. Something bothering you?"

"Well, yes." Will said hesitatingly, "There is this one matter that I have been wanting to ask you."

Arch didn't say anything but nodded his head for him to go on.

"How are you coping with the rangers so far?" Will asked.

"Coping?"

"Relationships." Will elaborated a little, "I don't really see, well, any friendship growing." He gestured wildly, "So…"

"Mind your hands before they slap me in the face." Arch grinned, much to Will's embarrassment, "Coping? Funny that you would ask."

"Why?"

"To be honest," Arch glanced at Will, "We are not really on good terms with the rangers."

"What happened?"

"Nothing really happened." The blond shook his head, "They seem to be distrusting us. They have a good reason, though since we were once the assassins that sent you to assassinate the king."

"I thought they have gotten over that." Will started.

"They might have for you," Arch shrugged, looking away slightly, "since they have found the real culprit behind all of this. They welcomed you back with open arms but the same couldn't be said for us."

"I didn't know." Will said almost warily. It must have been his fault.

"Is that the only thing you have in mind?" Arch prompted.

The brunet shook his head with a sigh, "Well, there is still the ranger's gathering."

"Ranger's gathering?" Arch frowned, then he said, "Oh, that."

"You knew?" Will was surprised.

Arch grinned almost slyly, "Well, I might have tailed a ranger once or twice to their gathering."

"Arch!" Will said accusingly, causing the blond's grin to widen.

"It was for information." Arch smirked, "We need to know everything about Araluen to ensure our safety back then."

Will raised an eyebrow, "Arch, there is a reason as to why it is secret and no one else besides rangers attended it."

"So?"

Will threw his hand in the air in exasperation.

"I am not the one who went to the gathering the most amongst us." Arch crossed his arms.

"Who then?"

"Lord K." Arch said, tapping his fingers against the side of his arms, "Well, ever since you became a ranger, Lord K had been going to the gathering every year."

"Why?" Will frowned.

"Why what?"

"Why did he...?" Will trailed off.

"Oh, he hadn't tell you about it?" Arch looked taken aback and flapped his hand, "Well, forget what I had said."

"Why?"

"He," Arch hesitated, "He will tell you when he thinks it is the right time."

There was a momentary silence as they both walked on before Will broke it, "Are you coming to the ranger's gathering?"

Arch looked surprised, "Why would we? It is a ranger's gathering, as you pointed out. We are…assassins."

"But since you are officially working with the king, wouldn't you be counted as a ranger as well?"

Arch grinned slightly, "We are thinking of a different name than 'rangers'. The king didn't seem really pleased with the title 'Assassins' and he kindly suggested us to change it."

"So will you be coming?"

A pause.

Then Arch glanced toward the sun, "Well, you better get back to the tree. We have been gone for long enough."

"Alright." Will managed and turned, heading back to the cabin. Arch stared after his retreating figure.

There were a lot of unanswered questions. And in some ways, he was going to find the answers for himself. There were still a lot of secrets surrounding the assassins. The distrusts weren't new but somehow, he knew that he had to solve it. Or there will never be peace between the two. For once, he wanted nothing more than to just relax and sit back. Just to enjoy the sunrise at Araluen. But even that seemed far away. There were still much to do.

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Thanks for all the reviews, they really made my day ^ ^ (again, sorry about the shortness. But it was necessary!)


	3. Ranger's Gathering

A.N.: Hi~ I am back ^ ^ As I promise, this chapter is longer than the last XD. I hope you enjoy~

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"You are not ready to think yet." Halt's voice brought him out of his thoughts.

Will looked up sharply and glanced sideway at his mentor, "What?"

"You looked like you wanted to hurl someone headfirst into mud." Gilan piped up helpfully, "That frown of yours."

"That's just Halt's habit and intention, not mine," Will said absently, completely unaware of the fact that he said it out loud.

His mind was fixed on one thing and one thing only. The assassins and the rangers' relationship. It wasn't getting any better by the days. In fact, if he was the describe it, it was getting worse. The rangers did not trust the assassins, just as Arch told him. He occasionally heard the word assassinate and king together when the rangers glanced at the assassins. Arch was right. It was because of the assassination attempt on the king. No one blamed him, who actually tried to kill the king. Instead, they all blame it on the assassins. It wasn't right. They should be angry at him instead. He didn't get it.

"Halt is right," Gilan spoke up suddenly and Will nearly jerked off Tug in surprise, "You are not ready to think yet."

"What?" Will asked blankly.

Gilan sighed, "What are you thinking about? You were frowning pretty badly."

"I was?"

"You were."

"Oh." Will said, "I see."

"Hold it right there," Gilan said, "Don't go into your thinking zone again. You are really scary when you are in that zone."

"How so?"

"Your eyes glaze over unfocused," Gilan waved his hands in the air dramatically, "And you look like you are seeing into the future."

"I did?"

"You did."

"Oh," Will blinked, "I see."

"You were staring at Tug's mane all the time," Gilan nodded toward his horse, "He is getting quite creep out by it."

"He was?" Came Will's absent reply.

"He was."

"Oh," Will replied, "I-"

"If you are going to say 'Oh I see' again, I am going to hang you upside down on the tree for a whole night." Gilan grumbled, glaring mockingly at Will.

"Sorry," Will said apologetically, finally giving his full attention to Gilan, "I was just thinking."

Gilan realized that saying 'you are not ready to think' probably wasn't the best idea right now and relented slightly, "What are you thinking about?"

Will didn't respond.

"Will?"

"What?" Will looked up again, confused.

"What are you thinking about?" Gilan and Halt exchanged a slightly concerned glance.

"Nothing." Will shook his head.

"You were quite unfocused on the whole way." The tall ranger commented, pulling Blaze closer toward Tug and Will, "I won't call that nothing."

"Just some…random thoughts, I guess." Will shrugged then he smiled slightly, "Nothing much, sorry for being unfocused. Too much in mind and didn't really get a good sleep last night."

"Rest is important," Gilan said, his tone clearly told of how much he did not believe Will's for a second.

Will didn't respond. When Gilan looked over, Will was deep in thought again. In frustration, he reached out and pulled Tug to a stop forcefully. The three of them stopped. Will looked at Gilan.

"Why are we stopping?"

"Look, Will." Gilan said, frustrated, "We are trying to help. What's bothering you?"

"It is n-"

"If you are going to say 'nothing'," Gilan glared at Will, "I advise you not to."

Will wisely closed his mouth.

"What's bothering you?" Gilan asked again.

Will looked away for a second then he sighed heavily, "It is about them."

Gilan and Halt didn't need to ask to know who Will was talking about. The assassins.

"What about them?"

"Things are not going well." Will replied, glancing into the distant forest, where the path would lead them to the ranger's gathering, "There are unrests. The relationship with you is not getting better."

"Who is 'you'?" Gilan prompted, getting concerned.

Will turned to face Gilan, "The rangers, of course."

"Relationship of what?"

Will frowned, "Between the assassins and the rangers, of course. Didn't you see?"

Gilan and Halt didn't reply. Instead, they chose to watch Will. Gilan was surprised and dismayed to see the hint of dark bags under the boy's eyes. Will probably wasn't really lying when he said that he didn't had a good night's sleep. At least, not completely lying.

"There are unrests." Will continued almost unconsciously, "Rangers don't trust the assassins."

"It is only natural." Gilan offered, "They tried to kill the king."

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say when Will stiffened and his hand tightened their grips on Tug's rein. There was a moment of silence as Gilan tried to think of something to take back his words. Then Will nudged Tug to move forward again, "Let's go. We don't want to be late."

Gilan and Halt complied. Gilan rode a little bit behind Will but kept to watching the boy. Will didn't seem to notice the glance. The tall ranger was getting concern by the second. Will was always watchful, noticing even the smallest detail. He shared a glance with Halt. Halt seemed indifferent but Gilan noticed the constant glance toward Will. Halt was worried as well.

"It is not their fault." Will said, startling the both of them.

"What's not their fault?"

"The assassination attempt on the king." Will elaborated slightly, still facing the front and not looking at them, "It was partially my fault."

"What are you talking about?" Gilan frowned, "It wasn't your fault. You lost your memory back then and you were controlled by them, it-"

Will turned around and glared at Gilan, "I was not controlled by them."

"I—" Gilan opened his mouth but Halt shook his head silently. The message was clear. _Don't. At least not yet._

The rest of the trip was made in silence. Will didn't say a word but Gilan knew that Will wasn't doing it because he was angry at them. He was deep in thought.

* * *

"Halt, Gilan, Will." Crowley greeted them as they got out of their saddle.

"Crowley." The three of them acknowledged the ranger.

"Gilan, we got a few new-" Crowley said with a mischievous gleam in his eyes, glancing at the tall ranger.

"I am not going to take an apprentice just yet, Crowley." Gilan sighed. The conversation had started a while ago. Gilan wasn't going to take an apprentice. At least for now.

"I have many things to take care before I have the time to waste on an apprentice running afoot," Gilan's eyes widened in mock horror, "Oh no, I am sounding more and more like Halt by the days!"

Halt growled threateningly while Crowley just laughed, "Well, when you change your mind, you can always come to me!"

Then Halt was pulled away by a ranger, leaving Gilan and Will behind. Gilan glanced sideway at the boy, "Will, you okay?"

"Yeah." Will looked up. Gilan noticed that he no longer looked vacant. He was livelier. Gilan noticed the almost unnoticeable turn of gaze every so often from Will. He was looking for or expecting something. Or someone.

"Are you waiting for someone, Will?" Gilan asked, slightly confused. He didn't remember Will telling them of any close relationships with the rangers. True, Will was friendly with all the rangers, but he was never close or best friends with them.

Will glanced at Gilan, "No, not really. But yes, I am."

"That made no sense," Gilan laughed.

Will managed a small grin, "It wasn't supposed to."

"Alright, gather around, rangers!" Crowley called out from the table laid out on the grass field that was surrounded by trees.

Will and Gilan made their way toward him. Will snuck a glance behind him. Was Arch really not coming? He felt disappointed. He missed Gilan watching him out of the corner of his eyes. Arch didn't promise him that he would be coming but Will presumed that he would be. Or someone from the assassin, if not Arch. He turned back once again. There was no one there. The trees were deadly still, swaying slightly only because of the warm breezes.

"—elcome back," Crowley was saying, "to all the old and new rangers, thank you for coming to this gathering. We have a few new rangers to introduce to you all."

Heads swirled toward where the head ranger was gesturing. Will turned his attention to them. Three boys stood on the side with barely contended excitement. Will smiled slightly. He was just like them a few years ago.

He turned as he heard the trees behind him rustled. There was no one there again. Maybe he was expecting too much.

"Now, don't be afraid. I don't bite." Crowley said, smiling at the three boys and gestured for them to come closer.

The three boys bounced to Crowley nervously with hints of excitement. Crowley looked up at the gathered rangers then he froze, his eyes narrowing at something behind them.

Will turned to see where Crowley was looking at.

"Greetings, rangers." K smiled slightly as he strode into the clearing, "Am I disturbing something?"

Crowley paused then strode toward them, his steps slightly stiffed in anger, "This is a ranger's gathering. It is no place for assassins. Besides, how did you find this place?"

"I followed the rangers." K shrugged ever so casually, "It wasn't particularly hard."

Crowley narrowed his eyes, "What part of a 'ranger's gathering' do you not get, foreigner?"

"Since we are going to be working together and seeing each other a lot," K replied, "I thought we should properly introduce ourselves."

Will was not surprised to see most of the assassins following behind. They offered stiff nods to anyone looking at them but otherwise paid not much attention to the rangers. K's smile was still on his face but Will could see the tenseness and the slowly frosting words. The smile seemed more and more forced by the second.

"You are not welcome here." Crowley said, "We serve His Majesty. We don't work against people who tried to assassinate him."

"I beg pardon," K cocked his head to one side and his gaze trailed to Will before flickering back to Crowley, "But it was the people's idea. We listened and did our duty with justice."

"You called killing the king justice?" Crowley was angry. Angered by the casualness and the carelessness the man in front of him.

"The people spoke to us," K repeated.

"And pray tell, who are the people?" Crowley asked stiffly.

"The citizens." K said, not missing a beat, "of the edges of Araluen. They told us of their misfortunes."

"And you have traveled there to hear such message?" Crowley laughed.

"Yes," K inclined his head, "We often travel."

"That's absurd." Crowley said, glaring at K, "His Majesty is an honest person. He did no evil deeds."

"Nor did he enforced anything good for the citizens on the other ring." K replied smoothly, "As far as I can see."

"Of all the fiefs we look out for," Crowley shook his head, "Not one of them spoke badly of His Majesty."

"Because you are His Majesty's rangers, they dare not to."

Crowley opened his mouth then closed it angrily. The wind blew past. Suddenly, it was no longer warm. It was chilling.

"You should get out. Assassins are not welcome here."

K stared at Crowley for a moment as if assessing the man. Then he closed his eyes before opening them again with a small sigh.

"I guess we should, seeing that we are extremely unwelcomed here." K turned then he paused, jerking his head toward Will, "But he is coming with us since he is part of us."

"Will is a ranger."

"He joined force with us."

"He joined," Crowley emphasized on the past tensed.

"Then ask him," K said, "Whether he is part of you or part of us."

Will trembled slightly. Gilan did not miss it even though it was less than a second.

He did not know the answer to the question, "I…"

"Will is a ranger. He knows it, so do I. So do every ranger he knew." Crowley said, staring at K, "Don't pull him into this."

"Are you saying that he had nothing to do with us?"

Silence.

"No, I am not saying that. What I am saying is that he is not part of your group and-"

"Nor part of yours." K said then he nodded curtly, coldness in his voice, "Good day. We will be taking our leaves."

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Thanks for all the reviews ^ ^ I hope you have enjoyed the story so far!


	4. Do Something About It

A.N.: I am back~~~ Sorry about the late update...School has killed me and twice over.

Disclaimer: No.

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"You are that boy who nearly assassinated the king!" A ranger exclaimed near him and Will flinched.

Gilan pulled him away and turned to face the man, "It wasn't his intention."

"Just-"

"Go get some time off and see your old ranger fellows," Crowley said, waving his hand toward the gathered ranger, "I need to discuss something with Will here."

The other rangers mumbled and shot Will looks before they turned away to talk amongst themselves.

"Will," Crowley said in a low tone, "Did you tell them how to get here?"

Will hesitated, "No."

Crowley nodded, "That's good. I am not sure what they want with you or us at the moment, but I do not want to push you to an uncomfortable position. Some of the rangers might not trust you completely, but give them some time, they will come to the light about the whole situation and know that it wasn't you who was at fault."

"You mean it was their fault." Will stated quietly.

Crowley glanced at him, "Yes, they were the one that persuaded you to join them."

"I went on my own record."

"You had amnesia from the fall."

"I trusted them."

"You didn't know better back then."

"I trust them."

Crowley noted the present tense in Will's choice of words and sighed, "I don't understand why you do, but I believe there is a reason for that. They are assassins, Will. I cannot say that their way of doing things is unjust at the moment, but I can say that with them behind the assassination of the king, they are displayed under the bad light right now. You should do well to avoid tangles with them before they come clear if you don't want to get into something bad."

"The king approved of their stay." Will objected.

"But the same cannot be said for some of the rangers or the barons." Crowley insisted, "Can't you see, Will? The assassins' arrivals might be comforting and pleasing for you, but the distrusts still grow."

"That's why we have to stop it." Will said almost exasperatedly.

"'We'?" Crowley raised an eyebrow, "No, Will. You will stay as you are, away from the assassins for now, while we will let this whole situation smooth it out on its own. It is up to the assassins on how they are going to get along well with the rangers and the royalties."

At that, Will bit his lips. Cassandra wasn't overly pleased when the assassins arrived. In fact, she had angrily demanded them to go back until her father, the king, pulled her away gently. She still gave him the cold shoulder. How he wished that things were different.

"If we don't do something," Will looked up, "they might never get along."

"Then so be it." Crowley said, shaking his head, "We can't solve everything, Will. I know you are always the lad looking for adventures but this isn't adventure. Tangling with assassins is not good for you right now. You should just live down quietly and let them handle it."

"Who are 'them'?" Will questioned.

"The will of nature, fate, whatever you prefer." Crowley shrugged.

Will was suddenly frustrated at how unhelpful Crowley was, "With respect, the will of the nature, as you put it, is not going to help in any ways. If you will please excuse me."

With that, he left the clearing, heading toward the stable for Tug.

"Do you really think that was a good idea?" Gilan asked Crowley as he watched the boy untied Tug and the horse whined slightly.

"He wants to do something about it," Crowley sighed, "I just have to give him some motivation and push him towards it. I honestly do think that he would have do something about it on his own even without my encouragements."

"You are one sneaky ranger." Gilan finally said.

Crowley just smiled, though there was a hint of sadness, "I don't know what I should do with this whole business, Gilan. I just hope that it wouldn't turn into something horrible. The assassins are not the bad ones, there really isn't a villain here. Rangers and Assassins are like two strangers that grew up differently and met for the first time properly."

"He had too much burden already," Gilan said, as he watched Will rode away on Tug, "I want him to at least tell us what he had in mind more often."

Crowley didn't reply. Will's figure slowly disappeared into the trees.

* * *

"That didn't go as well as I planned it." K said suddenly, appearing out of nowhere.

Tug jerked slightly and shot Will a look. _Do you know him?_

"I do." Will said, smoothing Tug's mane slightly, "They are friends."

Tug snorted slightly but trot on, paying not much attention to the three assassins walking beside him.

"Sorry about them." Will began.

"First time," Morten spoke up, "I understand."

Will glanced at the assassins as a small smile lit up on his face, "Haven't seen you in a while, Morten."

Morten returned the smile, "Was busy with settling them down in a suitable place. Took loads of time."

"Are you lodging in the castle?"

"The castle?" Morten looked surprised then he shook his head, "No, that's not possible. As much as the king welcomed us, the same could not be said to the staff that worked in the castle. To them, their king was the most honest man and they saw us as the villains."

"Then…" Will trailed off.

"Where we are staying?" Morten guessed and Will nodded.

"Why don't we show you?" Arch grinned as he ran on ahead, "If that's okay with you, Sir Morten, Lord K?"

"Under one condition." K held up his finger, "Will, you will have to run on feet."

"Riding on horses all day will make you go lax and out of shape." Morten said, patting Tug on the head, "Get down from this shaggy horse."

Tug shook his mane. _I am not shaggy!_

"If I say you are, then you are." Morten said, peering into Tug's eyes with a mischievous glint.

"You can understand him?" Will was surprised as he climbed out of the stirrup.

Morten smiled, "Of course."

"Now," Morten said, turning toward Tug, "I should try riding you for a while."

Tug stood stubbornly on the road. _Go ahead and try._

"Do you mind?" Morten whispered loudly.

Will was even more surprised, "How did you know?"

"We know everything." K supplied as Morten climbed upon Tug gracefully and the horse wasn't entirely pleased, but the nonetheless, Tug moved.

"Come on, Will!" Arch called out, "Follow me!"

Will shot K and Morten an apologetic glance before he sped up, running after Arch.

* * *

"It's dark." Gilan commented, peering out the window as he spooned honey into his coffee.

"Don't try to distract me," Halt said as he gestured toward the extra-large spoonful Gilan was trying to sneak into his cup, "I know the trick."

Gilan grinned, "You are ruining the fun."

"Hmph." Halt turned back to the piece of paper he held in his hand.

"It is getting late," Gilan spoke up after a moment, "Where is Will?"

"He can stay up on the tree if he is late." Halt replied, reading his paper.

After a while, they heard the sound of Tug nickering a greeting to Abelard and Blaze and the sound of Will walking up the front porch.

"You are late," Gilan commented as Will walked in.

He had expected Will to be a little dejected over the confrontation with Crowley but the boy had a small smile on his lips, "Sorry, Halt, Gilan. I forgot the time."

"Where have you been?" Halt asked, looking up from the paper.

"In the forest." Will said as he helped himself to a cup of coffee.

"What were you doing in the forest?" Halt asked with a half-raised eyebrow.

Will hesitated then he turned to face them, placing the cup of coffee on the table and took a seat, "With Arch and them."

"You went to find the assassins?" Gilan was not surprised.

Will nodded, "They took me to the forest after I left."

"I don't know how you leave the Gathering so fast," Halt spoke up, "But I do not want to see it again, understand?"

"Yes, Halt." Will muttered as he took a sip, enjoying the aroma of the coffee.

"You should go rest early," Gilan said after giving Halt a look.

Will looked surprised, "Why?"

"You are tired." The tall ranger said as he took a sip of his own coffee, "Maybe resting earlier would do you some good."

"Alright." Will nodded and with a nod of confirmation from Halt, he drank the rest of his coffee and left for his room.

Gilan and Halt watched him as the door closed behind him with a small click. Halt eyed the cabin door and Gilan nodded silently. They made their way out of the cabin and sat down on the veranda.

"It had been long." Gilan murmured almost tiredly.

Halt turned to look at his former apprentice and nodded, "It had."

It was almost nearly four months ago when Will first fell down the cliff and into the grasp of the assassins. The tangled web of lies and worries that soon followed after did nothing to sooth them. Gilan still remembered that night when Will overheard them talking and misinterpreted the words, as he realized later. There were too many mysterious and questions unanswered.

"K said that he knew Will's father," Gilan spoke up quietly.

"I believe that to be the truth." Halt said, giving Gilan a sideway glance.

"If that's the case," Gilan's eyes flickered toward his former mentor's, "shouldn't we tell Will about it? He would want to know more about his father, more than just the fact that he saved your life and that he was a hero."

Halt didn't reply for a moment, "He will take sides if we tell him about it. He still have doubts about the assassins and why they had gotten close to him. He still trust us completely. And right now, with the whole complication between the rangers and assassins, it would be a bad idea if he was to choose one side over the other."

Gilan detected the slight tone of concern beneath the old ranger's tone. Suddenly Gilan realized just how much Will really mattered to Halt, to both of them.

"Maybe we should give a hand in solving the problem." Gilan suggested, "Will wants a good trustful relationship between us and the assassins. Personally, I don't really have any more grudges toward the assassins. If Araluen wants to stay firm, the assassins and the rangers must work together to achieve it."

Halt stood up and went inside, "We will see."

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Thanks for all the reviews and supports received! ^ ^ I love you guys~


	5. New Base

A.N.: Sorry about the late update as well as the short update I am kind of procrastinating about this story lately...Has too many ideas for my other stories -_-. I will try to get the next chapter up faster, since this chapter can't even be called a chapter...

* * *

Will woke to the slight chirping of birds outside the window and dragged himself out of bed. A small smile on his face as he ran a hand through his hair and walked out the room, stretching slightly to get the stiffness out.

"Morning, Halt." He called out cheerfully as he headed toward the kitchen.

Halt grunted in reply as he sipped his coffee and flipped through the stacks of paper on the table grimly. It was the same every day.

"Do you want me to refill your cup?" Will asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee and spooned honey into it, humming slightly.

Halt raised an eyebrow as he looked up, "Cheerful today, are we?"

Will just grinned, "I am."

"What's there to be cheerful about?" Gilan grumbled as he walked into the cabin, the door swinging close gently behind him, "Same old day in Araluen."

Will just hummed as he took a sip, "It is a great day. Good weather."

"Will, are you feeling alright?" Gilan asked with mock concern as he took a seat and sipped his own cup of coffee that was already there.

The youngest of the three looked up, "I am going to the forest today."

Halt and Gilan paused, "Why?"

"They said they wanted to talk to me about something."

A long pause. "Be back before sundown. And Will, since you are still officially my apprentice, we will start training tomorrow."

"Thanks, Halt!" Will replied with a small grin and downed his coffee, "I will be going!"

As the cabin door closed again, Gilan raised an eyebrow at Halt, "You are getting soft, Halt."

Halt grunted, "He needs to go. He wants to do something, we have to let him."

"You really are getting soft, Halt."

"Gilan, up you go."

* * *

"Where are we going?" Will asked, confused as they headed into the forest.

"To where we are staying, of course." Morten smiled slightly.

Morten was the only one who came to get him and it reminded Will of the first time they met. He grimaced a little.

"In the forest?" Will sounded confused.

"Where else?" Morten hummed a little as he guided Will through the forest.

It brought back memories, painful but with a sense of finality. There were still many things undiscovered and unanswered between the assassins and him. Arch had slipped that something went on, the reasons as to why K seemed to know him even before the incident at the cliff. Will was sure that he had never met the assassins until then. So how did they know of his existence?

"Something troubling?" Morten asked without turning as they navigated over a fallen piece of log.

"Morten," Will hesitated, "Why did you…why did K want me to join him?"

He was watching the man closely and did not miss the slight tense of his shoulder, "Why did you ask?" The tone was light-hearted.

"Arch slipped." Will said.

"What did he tell you?" Morten turned slightly to give him a glance before turning back to face the forest.

"K was watching me even before this whole…thing." Will replied as he stepped around a puddle of mud, drenched by the early morning dew. He was careful not to trample the young seedlings nor the grass as he followed Morten deeper into the forest.

"K didn't tell you much, did he?" Morten asked though it was more like a statement.

"No." As much of a rhetorical question, it was, Will still answered, "Will you?"

There was a long pause, broken only by the occasional chirps of the morning birds or the sound of a nearby stream.

"It is up to K," Morten finally replied, "It is not my place to tell you."

"A hint?" Will asked hopefully.

Morten chuckled slightly, "Your father. It is related to your father."

"My…father?" Will frowned, "How?"

"Only a hint, remember?" Morten said then jerked his head forward, "Come on, we are nearly there."

His father. Things were getting complicated. How did K know his father? What was their relationship? Somehow, he doubted that his father was an assassin, but it could be the truth. Halt told him that his father had saved his life in a battle and died shortly afterward. Then K must have met his father even before the battle.

The smell of wood and ash made him refocus on the path ahead, "Is that…?"

"It is." Morten smiled, almost sadly, at the pile of large stone debris and ruin on the forest clearing, enshrouded by trees.

This was the same place a few months ago, that the assassins had lived in before they had to move to Skandia. The castle where it once stood was now a pile of stones, debris, and wood burnt to the ground. He grimaced at that.

"We are going...under…that?" Will asked.

Morten shot him an almost incredulous look, "No, of course not."

He led him behind the ruins and the pile of debris and deeper into the heart of the forest, "Not much further."

Will glanced back at the stones that were once a small castle where the assassins lived, out of the eye sights of Araluen. And the pile it was now reduced to. Because of him.

"Don't remorse over that," Morten said, without looking back, "It was time for us to move as well. So they done us a favor by pushing that down."

Will didn't respond.

"We are here," Morten said as he stopped.

Will looked around, confused. Great forests of trees surrounded them and he could see nothing but different shades of green and the occasional sunlight that streamed through the gaps between the leaves. Was he missing something? He looked up then around again.

"Not up," Morten said, smiling slightly as he pointed downwards, "Down."

The assassin pulled on a lever that was previously covered by fallen leaves and a stone square shifted beneath their feet. With a low grinding noise, it was pushed open to the side, revealing a staircase that spiraled downwards.

"Is it just me," Will said slowly, "Or do assassins have a thing for caves?"

"It is just you." Morten replied as he descended the staircase, "Come on down, Will. Don't mind the stone, it closes when you are no longer stepping on the side."

Will carefully stepped into the spiraling staircase. The stone ground against the forest floor as it slid shut slowly above him. A few lanterns and torches lid up the side. Will noticed the red carpet that was rolled on the floor.

Morten noticed his glance, "This is actually connected to that castle. It is a basement of a sort. Good thing the ranger never really found it or we will have to build a castle from scratch. It is not your fault, Will, so spared me that look."

Will smiled slightly. They made their way down the stairs and into a hallway. It was grand and by the look of it, it spread further than he knew. Morten took him down the first turn and into a second hallway. Rooms lined both sides of the spacious pathway. Their steps echoed softly in the hallway. The ceiling was decorated with a few hanging lanterns and the walls were wrapped in a soft fabric. Will heard the sound of water running in the distance. It was simply unimaginable, to see how much an underground basement could offer. A few assassins greeted them on the path. Some offered him a small smile while the other just nodded in acknowledgement. Though they all regarded Morten with respect. Will sensed the underlying trust and bond between each and every assassins. At that moment, he knew just how wrong the rangers were. The assassins were more than what the word said. They shouldn't be judging someone by the look.

"Sir Morten!" Arch came running to them, a delightful smile on his face, "Will!"

"Arch." Morten and Will greeted the blond.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Arch said as he fell into a walk alongside Will with Morten leading ahead.

"It is." Will nodded, "I never know such a place exist."

"You should have seen the lake in the back of the cavern!" Arch replied, "Honestly, I didn't know that exist either. I have never really gone down here before."

"This was once a weapon storage." Morten told them, casting the two of them a glance over his shoulder as he walked on, "We used this to store weapons and sometimes captives."

"I thought we don't have captives?" Arch was the one who spoke up.

"We used to," Morten corrected him, "But we don't anymore. The Lord banned it."

"Where are we going?" Will asked. He could see the faint light coming from ahead.

"The lake, of course." Morten said, "You should see the view. It is quite magnificent."


End file.
